SiENE - TECES, SiEnE and the Slovenian Ministry of Defence hosted participants of the Energy & Environment CapTech 5th meeting

More than 55 experts from Ministries of Defence, industry, universities, and research institutes from 16 European countries participated in the 5th Energy and Environment CapTech (EnE CapTech) meeting, operating under the auspices of the European Defence Agency (EDA).
The event took place between 11th and 12th October 2023 in Maribor, Slovenia, organised by the EDA and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia (MORS), as well as TECES under the umbrella of the Slovenian Energy and Environment Partnership in Defence (SiEnE).

The gathering marked a significant milestone, as it was the first in-person meeting of members since January 2020 and since the transformation of the EnE Working Group (EnE WG) into the EnE CapTech in January 2022.

The newly acquired CapTech status enables greater involvement of civilian companies and research organisations in EnE CapTech activities and the use of additional EDA support measures for financing and implementing joint research and technology projects in support of the Ministries of Defence of participating countries.

This meeting was also aimed at presenting the professional and technological solutions and breakthrough technologies, aimed at addressing environmental and energy related challenges in the defence and security sector. Activities and projects to strengthen international cooperation, as well as opportunities for more active involvement of civilian representatives, were presented.

For this reason, we at TECES & SiEnE partnership are extremely proud to have hosted the event in Slovenia, as this has also enabled a more prominent role for Slovenian representatives in the event’s programme. In addition to a more active role from Matej Gajzer from TECES & SiEnE, who was appointed as the first Industry Rapporteur for EnE CapTech in June 2023, several TECES & SiEnE experts presented their perspectives on some of the energy challenges that are also addressed in the EnE CapTech.

Presentations from international and Slovenian experts touched upon the following areas:

»Interlinked multilevel and multi-energy vector microgrids: A way to more green, sustainable and resilient energy supply of deployable camps?«
»The role of virtual twins and observers in enhancing resilience and safety of advanced energy systems«
»Challenges for military and dual-use infrastructure – technologies and needs«
»Low Voltage DC (LVDC) an alternative for deployable and mobile energy systems in the context of sustainable, military energy supply«
»Entangled digital twins for interoperability and vertical integration«
»Hydrogen technologies and relevance«
»A data integration framework for technology integration and energy management«
»GEM – Gasification for Energy Microgrid«
»How to achieve competitive advantages on the battlefield and contribute to climate protection – shown at the latest tactical energy systems for the German armed forces«
»Power supply solution for critical infrastructure using the example of MHES of the German federal office for civil protection«
»Solar-powered Water Production«

Presentation of Slovenian experiences and preparation of the first CatB project

Part of the meeting was also devoted to the further activities of the “Energy Positive and Zero Emission Rapidly Deployable Buildings (E+ZERO)” project as the first proposed Cat B project in the EnE CapTech.

The project proposal was designed in partnership with SiEnE and experts from TECES/SiEnE members. The proposal has gained significant interest and attention from representatives of multiple countries and is moving into the phase of preparing an international consortium.

Category B (Cat B) projects are one of the tools for promoting developmental international cooperation within the EDA, considered crucial and highly beneficial in encouraging collaboration among the Member States. Here, Ministries of Defence and civil stakeholders (industry, research institutions) prepare and financially support the implementation of international projects of strategic importance to them.

Exhibition of solutions and projects from civil partners

For the first time, based on the initiative of the EnE CapTech Industry Rapporteur and civil representatives, an exhibition of solutions and projects from civil partners was also held concurrently with the event, relating to the themes of EnE CapTech activities. The aim is to allow civil partners to present concrete results of their activities and projects.

TECES presented the Slovenian approach to greening the defence sector, as well activities and projects taking place under the umbrella of the Slovenian Energy and Environment Partnership in Defence (SiEnE) with the support of the Ministry of Defence. Some partners showcased their solutions as a response to the identified energy, environmental, and technological challenges in the defence sector.

A new promotional video and materials were also premiered, featuring the international project “INDY, Energy Independent and Efficient Deployable Military Camps“, coordinated by TECES.

The event also posed organisational and financial challenges for TECES, and we would like to thank all partners who substantively and financially supported the event’s execution in Slovenia, thereby enabling a richer and more engaging programme for event participants.

Slovenian Ministry of Defence | SMARTIS d.o.o. | ROBOTINA d.o.o. | STUBELJ d.o.o. | VINCORION Germany

For more information about EDA’ CapTechs

Take a moment to explore EDA’s website or watch the EDA’ movie below.

Additional Information

For more information about the possibilities of your participation in SiEnE activities and involvement in international activities, projects, or supply chains, contact us.

Matej GAJZER – TECES .:. +386 2 333 13 50 .:. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.